Batboard

Anyone where I can get a fused power distribution block that has 2 inputs for pos and neg from the battery and eight outputs to run 4 radios off of...Something thats not going to cost me 60 bucks...I dont need a fancy digital block like ive seen...just something simple. I have a 60 amp fuse and fuse holder . . . if i just connected that to the battery and used a panel without a fuses would I be taking a great risk?

F1118 wrote:I have a 60 amp fuse and fuse holder . . . if i just connected that to the battery and used a panel without a fuses would I be taking a great risk?

YES!!! Bad bad bad. It takes a lot less than 60 amps to blow $hit up in a radio. Use whatever the radio has or calls for as an individual fuse.

i was doing power in my car yesterday - I went down to a local car audio sho and got a Gold fuseblock distribution center - Accepted up to (3) 4 ga. 12v+ inputs and gave up to (4) 8 ga. 12v+ outputs. Has the fuses in the center, of course. I bought another one that is the same style, but without fuses, for ground distribution. Turned out great!

Well would it be wiser to go with something that has 8 outputs or buy one with 4 outputs fused...and another non fused for ground? By the way, whats up with the links on your site code3 . . . I can't get anything to work.

Make sure you fuse your grounds, if a ground is lost on the vehicle say the starter, it will find a new ground path, i.e the radio and could cause a big fire. In the days of mobile cell phone, many a car burned to the ground because of no ground on the negative, it should be like the positive no more than 12" from the battery or primary ground point. Also fused ground at the dist. panel are also very nice, saves looking for problems, make sure you fuse the ground the same as the positive.

USPSS wrote:Make sure you fuse your grounds

What size fuse should be used on the ground side ?

The ground should have the same fuse rating as the positive.

I have the fuse blocks that are on the Ford Police package these are the ones that were used up to 2002. It has both 12+ battery and 12+ ignition. If your car is a P71 police package it should have the accessory harness in the passenger kick panel.

F - my site is in the process of being updated to reflect new product lines - should be up by tomorrow evening. Thanks!

ehhh- UH OH. DIdnt know my whole site wasnt loading! CRAP!

A note about ground fusing:

If you are a legit and insured business, note that a ground side fuse is not SAE approved. If a radio (or whatever) loses ground from a blown or cracked fuse, it will seek ground via coax, control head or wherever it likes....and it might just be a #18 wire being used as the new ground on that 110 watt Spectra or lightbar. Imagine an MX7000 that loses ground from someone installing a ground side fuse. This fuse blows or breaks for whatever reason and the lightbar's 5 rotators are switched on. This 48 amp load now "sees" the 18 gauge takedown lead as a good ground. Get out the CO2 extinguisher! If your electrical system is in good shape, there's no reason to fuse a ground. That's exactly why Motorola and most other equipment manufacturers don't do it. That's also why the OEMs don't ever do it.

I can see double fusing a cellphone, since they are usually installed by ex-Burger King employees. These guys can "eff up an anvil with a rubber mallet."



As for distribution blocks and fuse blocks, visit: http://www.partsexpress.com and look them up. They have many of them at a good price.

I agree with Jim.. there is no good reason to fuse the ground.
Ground should not be taken at the battery, but as close as practicle to the ground for the vehicle body, but not on the same bolt as the body ground.

If you take ground from the battery terminal you are asking for trouble! Ground loops.. and your poor radio Neg lead having to take some body ground current since most radios are chassis ground too.

Grounding beside the body ground lead means your Neg wire will never have to take any body ground current. And if the body ground lug corrodes, no ground current will feed though your NEG wire then either (which will happen if you attach to the battery Neg or engine ground).

Another ground note-

Many NON-POLICE package vehicles have an inadequate battery-to-body ground cable. Some are as small as #12.

If you are installing any high power equipment (radios, lights inverters) in the car, be sure to add a redundant or new large ground cable in the old one's place.

In my non-9C1 Impala, I am adding a redundant ground under the hood from the motor to chassis and from chassis to battery. It already has an 8ga or 4 ga (can't tell) ground from battery to chassis, but I am adding 3 100w X9000's to the system, so a new ground is a must.

Word of advice to those of you with Chrysler mini-vans: Add a 8ga ground under the hood if you install anything in it!

I just did an install the night before last, and noticed they only have a crappy ground strap from the alternator bracket to the firewall, and a crappy ground cable from the battery to a motor bracket above the tranny on the left front of the motor. We where also having some RFI problems, and after running a ground strap from the hood to the fender, it disappeared.

I remember the first few years of front drive Mopars that were welding front wheel bearings together and also transmission output shaft bushing to the drive axles when the factory body ground failed! I guess with a 200-ish amp load and no ground, the current WILL find another route.

The mopar vans are horrible! I couldn't believe what I saw when I did that install the other night. It is the worst factory underhood wiring I have ever seen.

I hope the Intrepid squad package is a better platform.